Post Occupancy Evaluation:

Its Role in Managing and Maintaining Higher

Education Facilities

Alastair Blyth
University of Westminster
blytha@wmin.ac.uk

Association of University Directors of Estates

(www.aude.ac.uk)

This Presentation

What is Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)

Role and Definition of POE
Developing a Framework: Focus of POE
Developing a Framework: Timeframes
How and Who is Involved
Case Study examples

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Defining POE

Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE)

Feedback about how buildings perform and
how they interact with their users
Provide useable information:
To help manage the building
To be fed back into the brief for the next building
project

Role of POE - Manage Facilities by:

Understanding how they are performing

How users needs are changing
Managing response to organisational change
Feeding into the Brief for the next project
Improving process of project delivery

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POE Across Project Life Cycle

Feed forward
Experience Post Occupancy Evaluation

Conceive Procure Occupy / manage

Feed forward
Experience

Conceive Procure Occupy / manage

POEs ask a number of questions:

Does the building perform as intended?

Have the users needs changed?
What problems need to be tackled quickly?
How effective was the project delivery
process from inception to completion?
What can be learned for future projects?

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Focus of POE - Research Shows:

Seen as more than review of building

Includes:
Process: how did the team perform?
Functional Performance: how does the building
support the user aspirations & business need?
Technical Performance: How well does the fabric
achieve its predefined specification

Focus of POE:

Process: (Delivery or operational process)

How did the team perform?

Brief (referred to as Programming in the US)

Procurement team selection, contractual
process
Design
Construction - delivery
Occupation managing the estate

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Focus of POE:

Functional How does the building support the

client and user need?
Performance:

Image
Space - Size, relationships, adaptability
Comfort - lighting, temperature, ventilation,
noise, user control
Serviceability cleaning, maintenance, security
Operational management

Focus of POE:

Technical How well does the fabric achieve its

predefined specification?
Performance:

Physical systems lighting, heating,

ventilation, acoustics
Environmental systems Energy
consumption, water consumption, CO2 output
Adaptability Ability to accommodate change
Durability - Robustness

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Developing the Framework

Process: (Delivery or operational process)

How did the team perform? How can
we do it better?
Functional How does the building support the
client and user need? What needs to
Performance: be corrected?
Technical How well does the fabric achieve its
predefined specification? What can
Performance: be improved?

When POE's are Carried Out: Timeframes

3-6 months 12-18 months 3- 5 yrs
Process review : Process: Process:
Allows time without losing Operational management Operational management
memory

Functional Performance: Functional Performance: Functional Performance:

Quick Fix Appropriate space Long term appraisal
Technical Performance: Technical Performance:
Robustness of fabric Robustness of fabric
Transient student Seasonal cycle Focus on organisation as
population Feed forward well as building
Programme of small Manage building Organisational change
projects
Feedback / feed forward

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Timeframes
Operational Performance Strategic
Review Review Review
(3-6 months) (12-18 months) (3 - 5 yrs)
Looks back over Looks back at the Looks back but also
project delivery building in use forward / long term
How well did the How has building How has
delivery work? performed over organisational need
Are there any seasonal cycle? changed?
immediate Is it meeting What should building
problems? Fine organisational need? response be?
tuning

Framework
Operational Performance Strategic
Review Review Review
(Broad brush) (In-depth) (Long term)
3-6 months 12-18 months 3 - 5 yrs
Look at process
Most appropriate Some issues can
Process of operational
time be reviewed
management

Functional Evaluate against

Quick indicative Most appropriate
changed user
Performance review time
needs
Quick indicative Evaluate how
Technical review Most appropriate building has
Performance May be too time responded to
early? change

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 Types Techniques for Review

Qualitative
Observation
Interview
Focus group
Workshop
Analytical
Questionnaire
Measurement
Not all techniques used at once
Can be carried out internally
Some available commercially

Selection Matrix
Operational Performance Strategic
Most
suitable Review Review Review
approach
Qualitative Analytical Qualitative Analytical Qualitative Analytical
Quite useful
Measurement
Benchmark
Observation
Interview
Focus Group
Workshop
Questionnaire
Measurement
Benchmark
Observation
Interview
Focus Group
Workshop
Questionnaire

Measurement
Benchmark
Observation
Interview
Focus Group
Workshop
Questionnaire

Least useful

Not applicable

Process

Functional
Performance
Technical
Performance

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Who should be involved

Project delivery team: consultants, contractors

Estates managers
Users: students, staff, visitors
University as Client: Key administrators

Some Examples

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Operational Review: 3-6 months
Time horizon: Looks back over project delivery

Main focus:
Project delivery
(Process)
Quick indicator of
Secondary focus: Whether project improved work space
Opportunity to make minor adjustments

Use of Feed information to next project

information: Quick fix for problems on moving in
Workshops for process evaluation
Approach: Short questionnaire / small workshop / walk-
through for Functional Performance

Case Study: Operational Review

Addition to building included teaching spaces, staff

work spaces. Move from cellular layouts (individual
staff offices) to sharing spaces.

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Case Study: Operational Review

Focus: The focus was to identify what problems there

were on moving in to the new building
Specific focus: Move: managing organisational change. There
were new spatial layouts. Did they work?
Approach: Selected staff were interviewed to ascertain
whether there were any problems
FM staff walked through the building to pick up
where things were not working
Workshop to introduce staff to building systems
Findings: Specific problems with some lighting systems
and some work space layouts
Use of The findings were used to re-calibrate the
lighting systems. Work space layouts amended
information:

Performance Review: 12-18 months

Time horizon: Looks back at the building in use

On performance of specific areas / functions

In depth review of technical and functional
Main focus: performance
Functional performance
Identifies where adjustments and corrections are
Technical Performance needed to the building and its systems
Cost in use

Use of Used to make adjustments to building and to

information: inform the brief for the next project

Approach: Investigative / diagnostic

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Case Study: Performance Review

Refurbishment of existing University buildings to

provide more teaching space and upgrade office
space.

Case Study: Performance Review (1)

Focus: The aim was to evaluate the extent to which the
refurbished building met the user needs
Specific focus: To explore user satisfaction

Approach: Questionnaires were distributed to staff

Focus groups were arranged with some staff
An energy audit was carried out

Findings: Generally staff were satisfied

Black out blinds inadequate
Some specific issues on the building over-heating
Energy use CO2 above design levels

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Case Study: Performance Review (2)
Response to The heating system temperatures were adjusted
findings: Further investigation carried out into natural
ventilations systems. Discovered that some
ventilation ducts had become blocked
Some blinds altered
Information on blinds fed into specification for a
new project
Length of time Total number of days: 4 days over two months
for survey:
Benefits: A post-review survey of staff carried showed
positive reaction
Energy / CO2 levels checked and within design
level

Strategic Review: 3 5 yrs

Time horizon: Looks back but also forward / long term

Main focus: Response to change / organisational change

Use of Feeds into next project

information: Asks what is the next project?

Approach: Investigative

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Case Study: Strategic Review

Strategic facilities review of a University faculty. The

client had identified a lack of space and changing
needs due to new courses.

Case Study: Strategic Review (1)

Focus: The aim was to evaluate whether the building still
met the universitys needs

Specific focus: Whether building should be redeveloped or

disposed of
Approach: Time utilisation study carried out to asses how
spaces used
Selected staff interviewed to establish modes of
teaching and spatial response
Findings: Lecture room space inappropriate fewer
formal lecture theatres needed, more flexible
rooms needed
Significant redundant space
Library to be remodelled to cater for new
technology and use

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Case Study: Strategic Review (2)
Findings (2): More coherent timetabling of lecture / seminar space
needed. Long term University strategy was to
expand Arts Faculty redevelopment options of site
proposed to add significant space
Use of In the short term: remodel internal spaces
information: Long term: develop site masterplan with brief
developed for new media centre
Length of time Total number of days: two people, eight days over
two months
for survey:
Benefits: Long term vision developed

Guidance being produced

Corporate Real Estate Management

Planning POE from the start
Toolkit
Select approach
Tips and techniques
Terms of reference
Presentation of output simple, clear techniques
Let me have your business card with email
address and we will send you information

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 Corporate Real Estate Management

POE must link to Project Briefing

Feed forward to next project
POE linked to Facilities Management
Feedback to management systems
The Guide is good practice CRE
Holistic view

Summary
Feed forward 3-6 12-18
Experience mths mths 5 yrs

Conceive Procure Occupy Conceive Procure

Plan Feed forward 3-6 12-18

POE Experience mths mths 5 yrs

Conceive Procure Occupy

Plan Feed forward 3-6 12-18

POE Experience mths mths 5 yrs

Individual projects Conceive Procure Occupy

Programmes of
project Plan Feed forward
POE Experience

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